After 'The Chosen One'
by Patalena
Summary: Takes place following the season 2 finale. One possible way things could have turned out.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: This is intended to follow the episode "The Chosen One", hence the title. I have tried to keep the characters reasonably accurate and to create an acceptable ending to the cliff-hanger (Because I hate it when shows get cancelled on a cliffhanger). I have taken a few creative liberties, but I don't think they're anything too extreme. Right now the whole story is split into about ten chapters, and I'll add a new chapter every few days or so. Divider lines separate different "scenes" and the like. I think that's about all I need to say. I hope you enjoy the story.

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_Ingrid looked down at Vlad as he lay crumpled on the stone floor. "Is he – is he dead?" the Count asked her._

_"I don't know," she replied. "And I don't care."_

_"He is your brother! You must help him!"_

_"I'll decide what I must do. Because I'm in charge now."_

_"Traitor! You will pay for this betrayal Ingrid!"_

_"Silence! From now on you will address me as Countess Dracula. Watch me as I avenge Will's death and make the streets of Stokely run red with blood."_

After her declaration of war against the mortals of Stokely, Ingrid carelessly put aside the scepter and skull and surveyed the damage of the battle with the slayers. Broken furniture was strewn across the room, much of it bearing scorch marks from the fireballs thrown by the vampires. "It was very helpful of Vlad to erase the slayers' memories so they won't come back to cause more trouble. Fewer pesky breathers to stand in the way of my domination of the vampire world," she said.

The Count had been struck speechless by Ingrid's announcement of war against Stokely, but then suddenly collected himself and raged at her from his prison, "Enough of this! I command you to release me!"

"You _command_ me?" Ingrid flew over to the Count's cage to look him in the eye. "You're hardly in a position to give orders."

"This cage won't hold me forever. When I get out of here you will wish you had never been born!"

Ingrid casually picked up a crossbow that had been dropped on the floor when the slayers left. She held it loosely, pointing it in the Count's direction to remind him that she was in control of the situation. "I don't need it to hold you forever. You'd be a pile of dust already if those slayers hadn't shown up when they did. But I think this will work just as well as the crown would have."

Some of the Count's rage gave way to dread as he watched Ingrid warily. "You would kill your own father?"

"Ha!" Ingrid gave a scornful laugh. "As if you ever acted like one! You never cared about me. 'Vladimir is my son and heir! Ingrid will never be as good as _Vlad_! Ingrid can't do anything because she's a _girl_!'" Turning her back to the Count, Ingrid leaned over her brother. "He always was your favorite, and you made sure everyone knew it. But the Chosen One… that was a surprise, wasn't it? I wish I could have seen his face when he found out."

Ingrid's eyes fell upon the crown made of bones that she had kicked away from Vlad earlier. She set down the crossbow to pick up the crown. "The Crown of Power." Ingrid studied the crown closely, turning it over in her hands. "It should have been mine. I've always been more of a vampire than anyone in this family. But the breather-lover gets 'chosen' instead." She scowled and threw the crown away, sending it across the floor. As it bounced off the stones she drew her arm back and hurled a fireball at it. The yellow flames engulfed the crown for a moment but then went out with a puff of smoke, leaving no discernible damage to the crown itself. A second fireball had the same result as the first, and Ingrid's temper boiled.

"The Crown of Power cannot be destroyed," the Count told Ingrid, enjoying her aggravation.

"Shut up!" Ingrid snapped at him. "If I can't wear it and I can't destroy it, I will make sure that no one else ever finds it." In an instant Ingrid had grabbed the crown from where it landed and with super speed disappeared out the door of the castle.

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Vlad opened his eyes to total darkness. He blinked a few times and tried to sit up, but his forehead collided with a satin wall. The memory of his father trying to get him to sleep in a coffin flashed through his mind. Carefully placing his hands against the top of the coffin, Vlad pushed the lid open and sat up. Squinting against the bright light, he found himself in a sunny meadow filled with colorful wildflowers and the sound of birds singing. He had no idea how he had gotten there, or even how he had ended up in the coffin to begin with. Looking down at himself, he saw that he was still wearing the same clothes he had on for the coronation ceremony. When he looked up again, he was startled to see the ghost of the previous Grand High Vampire appear at the foot of the coffin. "Am I… dead?" he asked the ghost.

The former Grand High Vampire shook his head. "No. You are in the dream world."

"Oh, great," said Vlad, sounding less than enthusiastic. "What am I doing here?"

"You have worn the Crown of Power, have you not?"

Unsure of what the ghost was getting at, he replied truthfully. "Yes, I have."

"You may remember the last time you entered the dream world it was revealed to you that you are the Chosen One."

"Yeah, and I was nearly killed by my best friend's family and my dad tried to make me choose between slaying my sister or biting my friend… that's not something I forget easily." Vlad glanced up at the midday sun overhead. "And last time, the sunlight burned me. Why isn't that happening now?"

"There are many dimensions to the dream world," the ghost answered simply. "What is important is that you fulfill your destiny as the Chosen One and lead the vampire clans into a new era. Now that you have worn the Crown, you are ready to go through your transformation and become the next Grand High Vampire."

"About this Chosen One thing… can't you choose someone else? I don't even want to be a vampire, and I really don't want to be the Grand High Chosen One."

The ghost frowned at Vlad. "There is no one else. It is your destiny to fulfill the prophecy."

"And what? Lead a bunch of evil vampires? Well you're going to have to find someone else, because I'm not going to do it," Vlad said as he climbed out of the coffin and brushed himself off. "Thanks but no thanks." With that, Vlad turned to walk away, but as soon as he did the scenery around him changed.

Suddenly, Vlad and the ghost were standing in the great hall of the castle. "What…?" Vlad's question trailed off when he took in his surroundings.

The room was filled with the leaders of the vampire clans, every one of them dressed in their finest attire. They all held crystal glasses of blood which they raised up in a toast. "To Vladimir Dracula, the Grand High Vampire!" they chorused. Vlad followed their gazes to his father's throne where he saw himself seated, looking slightly older, dressed all in black with a cape and wearing the Crown of Power. Renfield was filling the vampires' glasses and the Count stood respectfully near the throne, but Ingrid was nowhere to be seen.

"What's going on?" Vlad asked, staring at his other self.

"Watch."

As soon as the ghost spoke, the older Vlad stood and addressed the crowd, "My fellow vampires, I would like to thank you all for gathering here to celebrate the tenth anniversary of my reign. It was one short decade ago that I took the title of Grand High Vampire and defeated the traitor Ingrid Dracula. As you are already aware, the local vampire community has since hunted down almost every known slayer in Britain. One individual, however, eluded our efforts, killing many of our kind in the process. I am very pleased to announce that he is also a guest here tonight." As Vlad spoke, two vampires dragged a chained and struggling prisoner to the front of the crowd and shoved him to the floor at the foot of Vlad's throne. "May I introduce… the vampire slayer Jonathan Van Helsing."

Vlad watched speechlessly as Jonathan pushed himself to his feet and stood defiantly before the vampires, staring at the older Vlad with an expression of pure hatred. He had grown from the boy the young Vlad knew. He was tall and athletic, wearing his father's old coat and a worn hat. "It is so nice you could join us, Jonathan," Vlad said to him.

"Go take a walk in the sunlight," Jonathan spat.

"Is that any way to greet an old schoolmate?" Vlad asked, looking hurt by Jonathan's words. "I had hoped we could still be friends."

Jonathan held out his manacled hands. "So this how you treat your friends?" he asked sarcastically.

Vlad snapped his fingers and the chains fell away from Jonathan's wrists and ankles. "I'm very sorry about that. Please, make yourself at home. Would you like a drink? Something to eat? You must be hungry." He smiled, showing a hint of his sharp teeth.

"Oh drop the act. You lot are just going to torture me to death like you did with all the other slayers."

"How could you suggest a thing like that?" Vlad asked, stepping down from his throne to stand in front of Jonathan. "I would never torture anyone." With barely a pause Vlad then grabbed hold of Jonathan, pinning his arms to his sides and with a flash of his fangs, Vlad violently bit into the slayer's neck. He drank quickly and when he was finished he let Jonathan's limp body slip to the floor. "I'm not that evil," he added, laughing coldly.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Thanks everyone who read the first chapter! I also appreciate the reviews, so thanks for those too. It's great to get some feedback. Here's chapter 2.

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Vlad watched in horror, unable to take his eyes away from his older self who appeared to relish the appreciative laughter and murmurs of the other vampires while Jonathan lay dead at his feet, the slayer's blood staining his fangs red.

Then the castle dissolved away almost as quickly as it had appeared and Vlad and the ghost were back in the sunny field. Feeling unsteady, Vlad sat on the edge of the coffin and covered his face with his hands. He felt sick at what he had seen. "No, no, no," he repeated. "No, I couldn't… I wouldn't. It wasn't me. It was only a dream."

"It was more than a dream," the ghost said. "What you saw is what could one day be reality… if you destroy your sister and accept the crown and your title. Embrace it, and you will have power over the vampire world. You will defeat all those who stand against you. You will have everything you could ever want."

Vlad raised his eyes to meet the ghost's gaze. "Everything I want… if I become evil. If I kill my sister. What makes you think I would agree to that?"

"It won't be so difficult once you go through the transformation."

"What do you mean by that?"

"When you become a full vampire your true nature will finally manifest. As you just witnessed, you will be like other vampires. Strong… bloodthirsty… _evil_."

"No I won't," he said, trying to convince himself to believe it more than the ghost. "I'll find a way out of it. I won't be evil if I don't want to be. I can make things right without killing."

The ghost looked unimpressed by Vlad's insistence. "Then perhaps you would like to see another possibility."

Once again the scene changed, and the field was replaced by the road Vlad took to school. "I wish you'd stop doing that," he muttered to the ghost. Looking around, Vlad noticed they were standing in front of a very familiar dwelling. "This is Robin's house," he said. "Why are we here?"

"Go in," the ghost told him.

Vlad saw no point in arguing, so he walked up to the front door. He noticed there were bulbs of garlic hanging from the doorframe. He cautiously opened the door and stepped inside. From the entryway he could hear voices coming from the kitchen. Peering around the corner, Vlad could see a man and a woman sitting at the small kitchen, talking over a pot of tea. The woman bore a strong resemblance to Chloe Branaugh. In fact, he was almost positive it was Chloe. He listened closely to hear what she was saying.

"…kept to themselves mostly. The two children, Vlad and Ingrid, attended Stokely Grammar but I was a few years younger and didn't get to know them very well. Almost twelve years ago, something happened up at the castle. Something terrible."

"What was it?" her guest asked, looking genuinely interested.

"No one knows for sure, but soon after that people started disappearing. Now my older brothers Ian and Paul had followed Ingrid 'Count' around like lovesick puppies ever since she first arrived in Stokely. They were always trying to impress her with gifts and favors. About a week after it happened, they went up to the castle to bring her a basket of our mum's best pastries." Chloe's voice caught as she continued, "The police found their bodies just outside the castle gates, completely drained of blood."

The man set aside his cup of tea and handed Chloe a handkerchief. "I'm so sorry."

Dabbing at her eyes with the corner of the handkerchief, Chloe took a moment to regain her composure. "When my brother Robin started saying that vampires did it, we didn't believe him, of course. He had been interested in all that goth stuff, and we thought the shock of Ian and Paul's deaths pushed him over the edge. He started collecting garlic and wooden stakes until one evening he took everything up to the castle. When I found out where he had gone, I tried to follow and stop him. I caught sight of Robin just as he reached the top of the hill. He was almost to the castle when Ingrid swooped down from the sky. Robin tried to fight her, but she bit him and…" Chloe clenched her fists, her expression hardening. "That monster killed him. Just like she killed Ian and Paul. My parents left Stokely shortly after, but I've stayed here to fight along with others who have discovered the truth. We're not going anywhere until the thing that destroyed our families is dust, and we would welcome any help we can get."

"I stand by what I said before. I'd be happy to do whatever I can to help my fellow slayers in the cause," the man said as he held out his hand.

Chloe shook his hand and smiled. "Welcome to the team."

Vlad was not as startled as he had been previously when he was transported back to the meadow by the ghost of the former Grand High Vampire. Quickly regaining his senses, he asked the ghost, "That's supposed to be what happens if I don't become the Grand High Vampire? Ingrid goes around killing people? Why didn't anyone stop her?"

"Without the Crown of Power you do not have the strength to fight Ingrid. She will defeat you easily. After you are dead she will slay your father, your friends, and any breather or vampire that gets in her way. Your survival relies on the destruction of your sister."

"So that's my choice, is it? Accept the crown and slay Ingrid or be killed by her?"

The ghost nodded. "Knowing this, will you now claim the Crown of Power?"

As he considered the decision he had to make, part of Vlad's mind wondered what the Grand High Vampire would do if he did not accept the crown. Vlad would not kill Ingrid even to save himself if it meant eventually becoming everything he swore he would never be. But he didn't want his father or his friends to die, either. He had to find another option. Summoning his courage, Vlad said to the ghost, "No, I won't. There has to be some other way."

"There is no other way. Take the crown. Lead the vampires, Chosen One."

Vlad remained resolute. "No."

"So be it." The ghost scowled and snapped his fingers. Vlad felt the ground dropping away from him as the meadow and everything in it faded into darkness.

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After Ingrid left the castle, the Count tried everything he could to escape from his prison but he could not get past the glowing bars of ultraviolet light. As he paced in the small amount of space he had, one of his arms brushed against the bars. Pain shot up his arm as the burning flesh sizzled. He gasped and cradled his injured limb. Sinking to his knees, the Count let out a scream of frustration that echoed throughout the castle.

The Count sat in defeated silence for a while, thinking over what Ingrid had said earlier. He did care about her. If he didn't he would have left her to the angry peasant mob back in Transylvania. But Vlad was his son and heir, after all. That made Vlad special, not even considering the fact that he was the Chosen One. Of course Vlad hadn't always been the 'chip off the old fang' that the Count thought he would be. He had wanted a son who would fall asleep in a coffin while the Count read bedtime stories, a son he would teach to fly and who would look forward to the day of his transformation and would later accompany him on raids of the local villages, a son who would relish the sport of biting peasants and killing pesky slayers.

Instead, he got Vladimir. Vlad always wanted to sleep in a bed, resisted all the lessons the Count tried to teach him about being a vampire, and wouldn't even allow the Count to bite one peasant. There were so many times the Count was around the delectable Mrs. Branaugh and held back from sinking his fangs in her neck only to keep Vlad happy. Even though he hated living by Vlad's rules about keeping a low profile, the boy knew more about living around breathers than the Count ever cared to know. He did have to admit that for the greater part of the last two years Vlad had helped all of them avoid being discovered and chased out of town by the local peasants.

As the Count was lost in thought, he heard a soft moan from Vlad's direction. He looked over and his heart leapt when he saw his son beginning to stir. The Count called to him, "Vlad… Vladdy wake up."


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: I know this chapter is a bit short but I think this part worked out better as its own chapter. As always, any reviews are appreciated.

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Vlad became aware that he was lying with his cheek pressed against a cold surface and a familiar voice was calling his name. A throbbing pain radiated throughout his skull and he felt terribly weak, but Vlad reluctantly opened his eyes and groggily pushed himself up so he was sitting. He groaned and put his hands to his aching head. The voice called his name again. "Vladimir my boy, speak to me!"

Looking up, Vlad saw his father trapped inside Kurt's UV cage. "Dad?"

The Count tried to reach out to Vlad, but was stopped short by the bars. "Are you all right, son?"

"Yeah, I think I am," Vlad said, unsteadily climbing to his feet. "What happened? Where's Ingrid?"

Also rising to his feet, the Count huffed. "She stole the Crown of Power and ran off somewhere. Get me out of this infernal cage and I'll hunt her down in no time at all."

Vlad nodded and bent down to pick up the disk that was generating the UV bars, but as he tried to lift it, the disk refused to move. He pulled with all his strength, but there seemed to be something holding it in place. Vlad tried to look underneath to find what was anchoring it to the floor but couldn't see anything that was holding it down. "It's stuck."

"Well just turn it off where it is," the Count told him, wringing his hands nervously as he watched Vlad's efforts to loosen the disk.

"How do I do that?"

"I don't know; try pushing that button in the middle."

As soon as Vlad pushed the button a hidden needle shot out of the disk and stabbed his finger, drawing blood. "Ow!" he yelped, pulling his hand back as the needle retracted into the disk.

A green light on the disk blinked on, and the disk began to make a whirring sound. After a few moments, an electronic-sounding female voice announced, "Confirming deactivation request… user species: vampire. Deactivation request denied."

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Ingrid flew high over the town, eventually landing outside of Stokely Grammar School. She walked up the front steps and sat down at the top, looking out over the grounds where she had spent so much time since moving to Stokely. The school reminded her of Will. For the second time that night, tears filled her eyes as she mourned Will's death. Ingrid thought back to the day they met... and later, their first kiss. Before she knew it, vivid memories of the earlier battle returned as well, and she could not stop the images of Will disintegrating into a pile of dust from repeating in her mind. Ingrid's sorrow turned to anger as she remembered the face of the slayer who was responsible. She wanted him to suffer. She wanted revenge.

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All the lights were off in the Stokely Museum, but that didn't bother Ingrid. She could see perfectly well in the dark. She had let herself in by breaking down a door and hypnotizing the night watchman who responded to the noise. With the alarm system turned off and the security guard taking a nap in another wing of the building, Ingrid had the museum to herself. The sound of her footsteps on the tile echoed through the hallway as she passed the various rooms. Ingrid eventually arrived at her destination: the horror exhibit.

Inside the horror exhibit, detailed displays containing recreations of beheading, hanging, and even impaling lined the walls. Ingrid carefully examined each of the exhibits in turn before stopping in front of a life-size grim reaper, scythe in hand, its skeletal face peering out from beneath a black hooded cloak. No one would look for the crown there. Pushing back the hood, Ingrid placed the crown securely on the plastic skull before draping the fabric over it again and looking it over to be sure nothing appeared out of place. "Perfect," she whispered to herself.

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The Healthy Eating Cabaret had ended and Kurt was walking down one of the dark streets of Stokely while he tried to remember where he was staying in town and why he was there to start with. He was concerned that he couldn't remember what he had been doing prior to attending the cabaret. He had found a small recording device in his coat sleeve at the cabaret and hoped to get a chance to examine it. Perhaps the recorder held a clue. Kurt heard flapping wings followed by the sound of footsteps behind him, and turned around to find an oddly dressed teenage girl standing little more than an arm's length away. "Are you lost, slayer?" she asked. "You shouldn't be wandering around at this time of night."

Kurt could have sworn he was the only person around a second ago. He squinted at the girl, trying to remember if he had met her before. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"

The girl scowled at him and replied, "You killed my boyfriend."

"That's impossible," he said. "I don't even know who your boyfriend is. Besides, I've never killed anyone." Kurt couldn't understand where this girl had come from, and why she was accusing him of such a serious crime. He had never hurt another person as far as he knew. The strange girl was starting to make him nervous.

"You did. And now you will pay." The girl hissed and bared her teeth as she approached him.

In the moonlight Kurt clearly saw the glint of fangs. He knew immediately what he was seeing. "Vampire!" he cried, turning to run away, but before he took a step she had appeared directly in front of him.

"That's right, slayer."

"No…" Before Kurt could utter another word, the girl grabbed him. He fought to free himself, but she was unbelievably strong and held him in place. Seeing the vampire's teeth and the hate in her eyes, he realized what was about to happen right before she bit into his neck. When the vampire bit him Kurt was paralyzed by the shock of it. Kurt's mind still raced, and he suddenly remembered everything… he was a vampire slayer, just like the creature said. He was good at it too. No blood sucking fiend had ever caught him… until now. But he had forgotten… he should have known… this wouldn't have happened. But it was too late. He soon felt his strength being drained away with his blood as his vision slowly faded.


	4. Chapter 4

"Confirming deactivation request…user species: vampire. Deactivation request denied."

Vlad stared at the disk in disbelief. "I-- I can't turn it off."

"Curses!" the Count hissed, clenching his fists. "It can tell the difference between the blood of vampires and breathers."

"It's not so bad, really." Vlad tried to sound optimistic in spite of the predicament they were in. "All I have to do is find a breather to release you."

"And where exactly are you going to find one? You sent them all away!"

"Right." Vlad paused for a moment to think. It would be nearly impossible to come up with a story believable enough to convince someone to follow him to the castle and shut down the disk. He could simply hypnotize someone so they would free his father and not remember. But there was a risk the hypnosis could wear off eventually and the person would remember being lured into a vampire lair. Anyone with those memories would be a risk to their secrecy and safety if they told anyone. Then it occurred to him. "I'll get Renfield to do it. He can't have gone far from town in one night. I can find him and convince him to come back with me."

"That imbecile? He's probably lost in the sewers, chasing cockroaches." The Count waved dismissively. "Come on, think!"

"What about Robin, then?" It seemed like a logical choice to Vlad, since Robin had known about the Draculas since the day they moved to Stokely.

"By all means go get the Branaugh boy, because it worked out so well last time. All our problems began after he found out about us! You may as well announce our secrets to all the breathers in town right now and give them time to light the torches and sharpen some stakes!"

"Robin is a good friend. He may have made some mistakes, but he helped us out of trouble plenty of times. Remember the chess match between you and Chandu? You would be a mummy right now if it wasn't for him. And then there was the time Ingrid and I were captured by Van Helsing. And--"

"All right, all right!" the Count interrupted him mid-sentence, grimacing at being reminded of the times he needed help from Robin Branaugh. "So he isn't completely useless." Suddenly the Count looked towards the door with an alarmed expression on his pale face, listening to something that Vlad's ears didn't detect. "Ingrid's back!" He turned to Vlad and said in a lowered voice, "Quick! Lie down again over there and don't move!"

Vlad obeyed without saying a word, mimicking the position he had been in earlier. He didn't have a second to spare. As soon as he closed his eyes he heard the sound of a door opening, followed by a slam and the footsteps of someone crossing the room. The footsteps stopped close by and he heard Ingrid say sarcastically, "Hi Daddy. I'm home."

The Count's response matched Ingrid's sugar-coated sarcasm. "Ah, Ingrid. Back so soon? Why not stay out a while longer and watch the sunrise?"

"Eat garlic," Ingrid snapped. "I see Vladdy hasn't come around. A poor choice for a 'Chosen One', don't you agree?"

Something nudged Vlad in the side, which he could only guess by the feel of it was the toe of Ingrid's shoe. He focused on staying completely still.

"Leave him alone!" the Count said sharply.

"Make me," Ingrid said, taunting him and gloating at the Count's powerless state. "Oh, that's right. You can't."

The Count muttered something under his breath that Vlad couldn't quite catch. Whatever it was, it didn't sound very pleasant.

Ingrid ignored the Count, and Vlad could hear her walk in the direction of where her magazine collection used to be organized before the fight broke out. There was a brief rustling of papers as she shuffled through the remaining pile. A chair at the dining table scraped across the floor closer to where Vlad was, and Ingrid sat down. "Now all we have to do is wait for Vlad to wake up," she said. "Then we can have a nice little chat about what happens to people who let slayers leave this castle alive." Vlad could tell from the tone of her voice there would be nothing nice about what Ingrid had planned. After Ingrid spoke, there wasn't another sound except the occasional page being turned. At one point Vlad opened one eye long enough to see his father standing in his cage, his fists clenched and glaring in Ingrid's direction with a look that could freeze the sun itself.

Vlad lost track of time as he lay on the floor. Eventually Ingrid got up from the table and walked over to him again. "He's still out cold." Vlad felt Ingrid's shoe prod his ribs again, this time strong enough to bruise. "This is taking too long," she said before yawning loudly. "And I'm tired. I think I'll get some sleep and deal with the two of you later. It doesn't look like Vlad will be going anywhere soon." She began to leave, but then paused and said to the Count, "If you aren't both still here when I come back, I will take every breather in this town and skin them alive… starting with the Branaughs."

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The sun rose bright in the morning sky, casting its rays over everything in Stokely, including a snoring lump of rags curled up on a bench in the center of town. As the light grew brighter the snoring stopped and the lump sat up, revealing that it was not a pile of old rags but in fact a very grubby man in shabby clothes.

Renfield stretched and got up from the bench he had slept on. He was quite hungry, and couldn't remember when he last had something to eat. He realized that there wasn't very much he could remember. But there was one thing he knew, and it was that he wanted breakfast. Renfield got up from the bench and wandered aimlessly down the road looking for something to eat. He stopped to look in a café and ordered a pastry, but when he reached in his pockets he found they were empty. Leaving the café, he wondered if he was homeless. That would explain why he didn't have any money and couldn't remember where he lived.

As he passed one particular storefront, a yellow flyer taped by the door caught his attention. Looking closer, he saw a drawing of a rat and beneath it the words, "Exterminator Wanted. Inquire at Stokely Museum 09:00 – 17:00." Taking down the sign, Renfield folded it up and put it in his pocket before continuing down the road.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: My apologies for the delay in submitting this chapter. There was a small incident last week with some freak lightning that fried a bunch of stuff. I just got my modem replaced so now I'm back online and updating. :-)

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The Count waited until Ingrid was safely out of hearing range before he spoke. "It's alright, Vlad. She's gone."

Sitting up again, Vlad rubbed the tender spot on his ribs where Ingrid had prodded him. "I wish Ingrid would wear softer shoes," he said with a grimace.

"Her shoes are the least of your problems right now," the Count said, glancing back at the door leading to the crypt. "You heard what Ingrid said she would do to your breather friends. If you don't want her hunting them you better go take care of her and then find a breather to release me."

"What do you want me to do? Lock her in her coffin?"

"I don't care what you do. Lock her in if you want. Or stake her while she sleeps… it would be better than she deserves, the traitorous wretch!"

The Count's suggestion to stake Ingrid caused the words of the former Grand High Vampire to echo in Vlad's head. _Your survival relies on the destruction of your sister.... _Vlad suppressed the thought and said, "I'll see what I can do."

Vlad crept through the hallway leading to the crypt. When he arrived, the heavy wooden door of Ingrid's room in the crypt was shut like it always was when she was sleeping. He put an ear to the door but he couldn't hear anything inside. Guessing that Ingrid was already asleep, Vlad tried the handle and found it was locked. He put his shoulder against the door and tried to force it open, but the door wouldn't budge. In a way, Vlad was relieved that he couldn't get into Ingrid's room. It meant he wouldn't have to make a decision about how to deal with Ingrid just yet.

Vlad climbed the stairs to his room, and when he pushed open the door Zoltan rolled over to greet him. "Master Vladimir! I'm so glad you're all right! I was worried."

"Hi Zoltan." Vlad patted the stuffed wolf on the head.

"What happened?"

Vlad removed his cape and draped it over a chair as he said to Zoltan, "It's a long story, but Dad's caught in a slayer's trap and Ingrid's finally snapped."

"I am sorry to hear that, Master Vlad. I would have helped you fight the slayers, but there wasn't much I could do with so much fire flying around. My sawdust burns too easily."

"That's okay, Zoltan. It's good that you didn't stay downstairs. Even if you didn't catch fire during the fight, Ingrid probably would have set you on fire afterward and then thrown you off the roof, considering the mood she's in. You should probably stay out of sight until it's safe." He started looking around the room for some wearable clothing that wouldn't make him look like he was going to a hunt ball.

"Maybe if you put your clothes in the wash more often, you would have less trouble finding a shirt that doesn't look like you've slept in it for a week," Zoltan said.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Vlad muttered. At the bottom of one heap he found a reasonably clean pair of jeans and t-shirt. After changing his clothes, Vlad was on his way back down the stairs when his stomach growled loudly. The sound reminded him that he hadn't eaten since the previous day, and he felt famished. He decided to make a detour to the kitchen. He opened a cabinet and took a box of cereal from behind the jars of millipedes and crow livers. In the refrigerator he found an apple to complete his breakfast. Just before Vlad closed the refrigerator door he thought of his father and stopped to take a bottle of chilled blood as well. When Vlad returned to the great hall, the Count was once again sitting at the bottom of his cage with his legs crossed and drumming his fingertips impatiently on the stone floor.

"Well?" the Count asked when he saw Vlad.

"She locked the door to the crypt from the inside and probably barricaded it as far as I know. I couldn't get in," he said as he sat down next to the cage with his armload of food.

"Ingrid will be awake by sunset and you know exactly what she will do if she comes in here and finds you missing," the Count reminded him.

"If she's going to be asleep all day I'll have plenty of time. Anyway, it shouldn't take too long to find Robin and reverse the hypnosis. I'll be back here before noon."

"You're still planning on tracking down the Branaugh boy? Why can't you bring me the first breather you find? I want to get out of here!"

Vlad remained steadfast. "Because I'm not going to risk anyone else discovering that vampires are living in Stokely. Having the slayers find out about us was worse than any torch and pitchfork wielding mob. Once Robin gets his memory back, everything will be fine."

"Right," the Count muttered, sounding skeptical.

"Here, I got this for you. I thought you might be hungry," he said to his father, reaching through the bars to offer him the bottle of blood. The Count accepted the bottle, grateful for his son's consideration.

They sat in silence for some time as Vlad ate handfuls of cereal and the Count took an occasional swallow of blood. When he had finished eating, Vlad said hesitantly, "Um, Dad? Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, anything at all."

Vlad glanced at the nearly empty bottle in the Count's hands, trying to decide how to approach the subject that was on his mind. He cleared his throat and asked, "Do you remember when you were my age? Before you got your full powers?"

"Yes, I remember it clearly. Six hundred short years ago."

"I've been wondering… was there ever a time when you didn't want to be a vampire? Or didn't want to be evil? Even once?"

The Count chuckled at Vlad's question. "No, never. You should know, Vlad, I was terrorizing the local peasants before I could fly. Ivan would accompany me on raids of the village and together we caused more trouble than anyone thought possible for two young vampires," the Count stared into space and smiled faintly as he reminisced. "Our parents were so proud."

"So you never even thought of trying to be more, you know, normal?" Vlad asked, sounding disappointed.

The Count sighed and looked over at him. "Vlad, how many times do I have to tell you? Being evil _is_ normal for vampires. And why are you bringing this up now, anyway?"

Vlad wasn't surprised by his father's answer. He had heard the 'evil is normal' line from the Count many times before, but that didn't make it any less discouraging, especially after his disturbing experience in the dream world. He didn't know why he even bothered to ask. Maybe he had still harbored the hope that one day the Count would change his mind. He had considered telling his father about what had happened in the dream world, that he saw himself become evil, and how it appalled him. But it appeared the Count was too set in his ways to ever see things from Vlad's point of view. Vlad answered simply, "No reason."

The Count said nothing, but looked at him in a way that led Vlad to suspect that his father knew there was a reason, even if he didn't know exactly what that reason was.

"I should probably be going now," Vlad said as he checked the time. "Don't worry, Dad. I'll be back soon." He stood up and hurried out the door, leaving the Count to wait for his return.


	6. Chapter 6

When he arrived at Stokely Museum, Renfield thought that the building looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn't remember visiting it before. As he crossed the threshold into the lobby he passed some repairmen fixing a broken door. "Shoddy workmanship is what it is," one of them was saying to the other. "They don't take the time for quality work, and one day the door breaks right off its hinges."

Two middle aged women wearing volunteer badges sat behind the information desk. They were talking as Renfield walked up. "We found George fast asleep in the ice age exhibit this morning. He had disabled the security system. I can't even guess at how he broke the door, and he can't remember anything from his shift last night. It's very unusual."

Renfield cleared his throat loudly and both women looked up. "Oh, hello, how may we help you?" one of them asked.

Showing her the flyer he had taken from the store window, he asked, "You need an exterminator?"

She nodded. "Yes, we do. Just a moment, please." The volunteer waved over a professionally-dressed man who had been watching the repairmen work on the door. "This gentleman is responding to the advertisement for an exterminator."

"Ah, yes," he said, turning to Renfield and extending a hand. "Gary Marshall. I'm the one in charge around here. Pleased to meet you, Mr.…"

"Renfield," he replied, shaking Mr. Marshall's hand.

"Mr. Renfield, I can't tell you how glad I am that you're here. We've had a real problem with rats loose in the museum ever since they escaped from an exhibit about a month ago. I hope that you can get rid of them."

"I'll do my best, sir."

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As he followed the long road down the hill to Robin's house, Vlad wondered what to expect once he arrived. Would Robin remember him at all? Could the hypnosis have worn off on its own, and Robin already had his memory back? Or if Robin didn't remember, how much should he reveal about his true nature? Vlad decided to wait and see what happened. He stepped up to the front door and took a deep breath before ringing the door bell. Someone inside yelled, "I'll get it!" Seconds later, Mrs. Branaugh opened the door.

"Hello. Can I help you?" Although Mrs. Branaugh wore a warm smile, her expression did not reveal any recognition when she saw Vlad.

Vlad shifted nervously on his feet, not quite sure of what to say. "Um, hi. I'm Vlad... I'm a friend of Robin's from school. Is he at home?"

"Yes, he is. Just a moment…" She turned and called up the stairs, "Robin, someone from school is here to see you!"

There was an awkward silence as Vlad waited on the doorstep, but soon Robin stepped into view. He looked the same as he had the night before. Somehow, Vlad had almost expected he would look different as an effect of his memory being altered. Mrs. Branaugh walked away, leaving the two of them alone.

"Hi Vlad."

"You remember me?" Vlad asked, looking surprised.

"Of course I remember you. I see you every day in school. We're in almost all the same classes."

Vlad's hopes sank. "Right, of course we are." He tried to act casual and said, "Uh, listen, I was wondering if you wanted to hang out, maybe go bowling?"

Robin's expression brightened upon hearing Vlad's question. "Bowling? Sounds great." He stepped outside and before closing the door behind him, he yelled for his mother to hear, "Hey Mum! I'm going bowling with Vlad! Be back later!"

"You know, I'm kind of surprised you stopped by. I mean, it's not like we ever eat lunch together or anything at school," Robin said as they were walking to the bowling alley.

"Never?"

"That's right. You're Vladimir keeps-to-himself Count. You don't talk to anybody."

"Sorry, I guess I hadn't noticed." Vlad said, staring straight ahead. "So everyone must think I'm really strange, don't they?"

Robin laughed. "Not as strange as when I was still wearing capes to school. At least you only did that once, and you had the excuse of being new around here. No, they just think you're shy or something like that."

"I see."

"I don't have any friends either… I know how it is."

Vlad nodded, not saying anything. As they walked in silence, he decided it was time get the old Robin back. He suddenly reached out and snapped his fingers, as he usually did to reverse hypnosis. Instead of appearing disoriented as many people did after being hypnotized, Robin merely looked quizzical. "What?"

"Um, nothing," Vlad said quickly. "Just… nothing."

Robin shrugged and started talking about school again, but Vlad wasn't really paying attention. He had expected that it would be a simple matter to undo the hypnosis. Now it seemed it would be much more complicated.

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Robin and Vlad stayed at the bowling alley until the afternoon. While they were there they talked, and in some ways it was as if nothing had changed between them, but Vlad was distracted. He knew he had to reverse what he had done to Robin's memory the previous evening, and time was running out. He had made various efforts to subtly undo the hypnosis on Robin, but none had worked, not even 'accidentally' hitting him in the head with a stray bowling shoe. Vlad was beginning to feel exceedingly anxious as they left the bowling alley. They had barely gone a block before he stopped walking and turned to face Robin. "Robin, I need you to look into my eyes." Robin stared at him with a blank expression, and Vlad focused on using his power to draw Robin into his control with his gaze. "I want you to listen to me very carefully. Ignore what I told you yesterday. You will remember everything from the last two years." He broke the hypnotic stare and prepared to deal with Robin's reaction.

Instead of being dazed by the restoration of his memory, Robin gave Vlad a puzzled look. "What are you talking about?"

"You don't remember?" Vlad snapped his fingers a few times in the hope that the new attempt would successfully jolt Robin out of the effect of his previous memory modification.

"Remember what?" Robin asked. "And what's the snapping for?"

Vlad's thoughts raced as he examined Robin's face for any hint of recognition, but all he could see was his friend's confusion. He couldn't understand… why wasn't Robin's mind being affected by his efforts? He never had trouble hypnotizing people in the past, but this time it wasn't working. Could he have lost all of his powers after returning from the dream world, or was the strength of the hypnotism of the Crown of Power too strong to break? Vlad didn't have anymore time to waste. He had to make a decision, and he just hoped it was the right thing to do. He sighed and said, "Robin, I need to tell you something."

"Like why you're freaking me out? Because that I'd like to know."

"The truth is I came to your house today because I need your help. We've been best mates since I moved to Stokely, but you think we've never been friends because that's what I told you to think. I hypnotized you."

Robin laughed and started walking again, not believing what Vlad was saying. "Ha ha, right. You hypnotized me. That's a good one."

"I'm serious," Vlad said, keeping pace with him. "I didn't want to do it, but I had to. It wasn't safe anymore for so many people to know about us."

"Us?"

"My name isn't Vladimir Count, it's Vladimir Dracula. My father is Count Dracula, and--" He glanced over at Robin as he finished the sentence, "I'm a vampire."

Robin stopped abruptly. He turned to stare at Vlad and said incredulously, "Vampire?" The corners of his mouth twitched as though he was about to start laughing again. "You do know there's no such thing as vampires, don't you?"

"You don't believe me?"

"Of course I don't. Vampires are awesome, but they don't really exist." He leaned closer to Vlad and whispered rather loudly, "And between you and me, you probably shouldn't be telling this to anyone else or they're going to lock you up with those guys who think they're Napoleon."

"I'm not crazy."

"Okay," Robin said patiently. "Let's pretend for a moment that I don't think you're completely loony. Can you fly? Or turn into a bat?"

"No." Vlad frowned. For once he wished he could do those things, if only to prove what he was saying to Robin.

"Why not?"

"Because vampires don't get their full powers until they turn sixteen and go through their transformation. That's still a couple of years away for me."

"Can I see your fangs, then?" Robin asked, crossing his arms.

"I don't have them yet."

"So you want me to believe you're a vampire even though you can't fly or shape shift, you're walking around outside on a sunny day, and you don't have fangs. Can you see why I'm having trouble not thinking you're delusional?"

"I'm telling you the truth," Vlad insisted. He felt so frustrated. Why did the hypnosis have to work so well? When they had first met, Robin figured everything out even when Vlad tried to deny he was a vampire. Now he was suddenly the biggest skeptic around when Vlad didn't have any way to convince him. He clenched his fists, trying to stay calm. "You need to believe me."

"Sure," Robin said with a grin. "I'll believe you if you can get the tooth fairy to back up your story."

Vlad reached the end of his patience. "I'm not crazy!" he shouted. As he yelled, a small flowering tree they were standing next to burst into flames.

"Aaa!" Robin shrieked and leapt back.

Vlad stared at the tree in shock as the yellow and orange flames crackled, consuming the branches. He tore his eyes away from the tree to turn his attention to his friend. Robin was also staring at the fire, his normally pale skin blanched completely white, his dark eyes wide with horror.

"Robin?" Vlad asked tentatively.

Robin jumped slightly in surprise at hearing his name; he seemed to have forgotten Vlad was standing next to him. "You… you…" he said, pointing a trembling finger at Vlad as he slowly backed away.

"I'm sorry," said Vlad. He resisted the impulse to step towards Robin and instead held out his open hands and tried to appear non-threatening. He didn't want Robin to run off in a panic. "That was an accident. I wasn't trying to hurt you."

"You really are a vampire," Robin said accusingly as the shock wore off. "And you nearly set me on fire!"

"What do you think I've been trying to tell you?"

"Well excuse me if I'm having a bit of difficulty getting used to the idea." Robin's eyes briefly flicked over to the tree where the fire was starting to die down. He had stopped shaking and no longer appeared ready to flee.

"The first time you found out, you thought it was cool. You asked me if I wanted to bite you."

"It's still cool, I guess," Robin admitted with a shrug. "Hey, does this mean you really took away my memories?"

"Yeah, and I'm sorry, but I didn't have any choice. The slayers had attacked us and I was just trying to keep people from getting hurt."

"Slayers?"

"I'll explain all of it, if you swear not to ever tell another soul."

"I swear," Robin said as a man walking a dog passed by them.

Vlad watched the man walk by and looked up and down the street, hoping no one had overheard their conversation. "Okay, but let's find a better place to talk. Come on."

---------------------------------

Vlad and Robin stopped at a park not far from Stokely Grammar School. They sat at picnic table in a quiet area while Vlad recounted the major events of the past two years, all the way up to when he left the castle that morning. Robin interrupted constantly, asking questions about things like how Vlad had stopped Boris from stealing power from the Blood Mirror, or how they had counteracted the Count's magic perfume to keep the crazed girls at the Valentine's dance from chasing them. After Vlad was finished with the story, Robin said, "So you aren't just any vampire. You're some sort of super-vampire. That is so cool."

Vlad rolled his eyes at Robin's regained enthusiasm for vampires. "Don't remind me."

"And you need me to help you free your dad? So you can keep your sister from making snacks out of everyone in Stokely?"

"Exactly. I mean, Ingrid was always after Dad's throne, but last night she just snapped. Look, I know that what I'm asking you to do is really dangerous, but I can't do it alone. Will you help me?"

Robin grinned at his friend. "Sneaking into a vampire's lair to rescue the real Count Dracula? I wouldn't miss it." Then suddenly his expression turned serious. "But what about you? Didn't the Grand High Vampire say that you needed that crown to stop Ingrid? Aren't you afraid she's going to kill you?"

Vlad replied solemnly, "Since I don't know where she put the crown, it's not like I have much of a choice, is it?"


	7. Chapter 7

Author's note: Sorry again for the delay in updating. I've been running myself ragged with various obligations and haven't had the time to keep up with my online activities. I'll try to get the last chapter edited and posted by Thursday.

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The castle was silent as the Count waited for Vlad to return. He grew tired, and longed to be asleep in his dark, comfortable coffin. Even enough space to stretch out on the bottom of the infernal cage would be sufficient for him to get some decent sleep, but the cage wasn't large enough. The slayer probably hadn't designed it to hold prisoners for very long, he thought grimly. He wouldn't be in this predicament to start with if Renfield hadn't stopped him from flying out of the way when Kurt activated the disk. If he ever saw Renfield again, he would throw him to a pack of werewolves. Better yet, he would make him take a bath. Or maybe sending him to Transiberia for a month would be best. The Count was busy plotting what he would do to punish Renfield when a sound from the crypt snapped him back to his senses. Sure enough, Ingrid walked in moments later, stretching as she crossed the room. Her eyes fell on the space where Vlad had been when she last saw him and she stopped in her tracks. "Where is he?" she demanded.

"I don't have the slightest idea what you're talking about," the Count said nervously, glancing towards the door.

Ingrid's temper flared as she growled, "Where's Vlad?"

The Count tried to keep his tone even. "I don't know."

"Don't lie to me. He wouldn't just run away and leave you here. He's pathetically loyal, like Renfield."

"Really, Ingrid, he could be anywhere by now."

"That's Countess to you!"

The Count gave a short laugh. "I'll call you no such thing. You haven't inherited the title."

Ingrid crossed her arms and looked at him smugly. "As if that makes a difference. Thanks to Boris you were nearly executed a few nights ago… so sad it didn't work out. But not to worry, I'm sure Vlad will come back sooner or later, and when he does we can make arrangements for him to live long enough to witness your untimely death. When you are a pile of dust the title will be mine."

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Renfield had searched the museum all day and by evening he was on the trail of a good-sized rat. He had tracked the rodent through an entire wing of the museum and he was finally closing in, having cornered it in the horror exhibit. "Come to Renfield," he called to it, "I won't hurt you."

There was a squeak and a scurrying of tiny clawed feet from behind the guillotine. In a flash, Renfield pounced. As he leapt his foot caught on the base of a display sign, throwing him off balance. With his arms flailing, Renfield crashed into the display, sending the mannequin's head rolling across the floor while he knocked over the nearby grim reaper in his attempt to kick free from the sign. The rat gave another squeak and Renfield located the sound just in time to see a pink tail disappearing around the doorframe.

Cursing and muttering to himself, Renfield put the display sign back where it had been and attempted to reattach the mannequin's head without success. He had set the grim reaper upright when he noticed what appeared to be a crown of bones that had fallen off of the mannequin. Renfield picked it up, thinking the bones looked very realistic. They even felt like real bones, not like the painted plastic replicas in the rest of the displays. The crown also seemed very familiar to him. In fact, Renfield was sure he had seen it before. Renfield tried on the crown to see how he looked in it. He admired his reflection in the glass of a display case for a moment before he was caught by an unnaturally strong gust of wind that blew though the exhibit. Terrified, Renfield had started to run for the door when he was overwhelmed by a wave of memories. Sounds, images, everything felt as though it had been dropped into his head all at once. There were flashes of different castles, a mob of angry villagers, coffins, people in capes, a celebration in the castle, people dressed as fruit, a boy… Vlad, a girl… Ingrid, and his master… Count Dracula. Renfield immediately knew he had to help his master. Taking the crown with him, Renfield left the museum and hurried towards the castle.

---------------------------------

Vlad and Robin arrived at the castle quickly, only stopping for a short time at the Branaugh house for Robin to tell his parents where he would be. Vlad insisted on this, saying he didn't want them to worry about Robin and go wandering up to the castle to look for him. The castle loomed above the two boys as they approached, shrouded by a single dark cloud in the middle of an otherwise clear sky. Vlad was about to open the castle door when Robin put an arm out to stop him and said, "Wait… I'm not so sure about this."

"I know you don't like needles, but I told you, it's just one drop of blood."

Dropping his hand to his side, Robin said, "That's not what I'm worried about. What if your dad's hungry and tries to bite me?"

Vlad pushed open the heavy wooden door. "Don't worry; I got him something to eat before I left. He won't be hungry," he assured Robin as they walked through the foyer and into the great hall.

"But I am," a third voice replied. Both Robin and Vlad looked over and saw Ingrid standing by the UV cage with her arms crossed, watching Robin with a predatory expression. "It's so nice of you to bring me my dinner."

"Ingrid!" Vlad exclaimed. He hadn't expected her to be awake so early. She had recently been sleeping well past sunset on most days. Ingrid started to slowly approach them, gracefully sauntering forward with an air of menace that made Robin gulp audibly. Vlad stepped between her and Robin and said, "Wait a minute and think about this. Robin is here to help. He is going to free Dad and then we can all calmly sort things out."

Still coming closer step by step, Ingrid said, "Here's a better idea; I'm going to bite your breather friend and then lock you in the slime pit until you learn to show me some respect."

Ingrid stood directly in front of Vlad and stared down at him, but he held his ground. "I can't let you do that," he told her, trying not to let his voice waver.

"Try to stop me," she sneered. Ingrid hissed and shoved Vlad aside, sending him flying into a pile of debris. Robin looked around desperately for something to use to protect himself. His eyes fell upon a dusty suit of armor that stood by the door and he seized the heavy axe that was propped up with it. He held the axe up defensively, but Ingrid grabbed the handle and easily pulled it out of his hands. Dropping the axe, Ingrid took hold of Robin and spun him around so his back was pressed against her. She held him tightly with one arm across his chest as she bared her fangs and leaned towards his neck. He whimpered slightly and braced himself for the bite.

Vlad had been momentarily stunned by Ingrid's attack, but he quickly pushed himself up and cried out, "Ingrid, no!"

"Shut up or you'll be next," she snarled at him.

"Ingrid, be reasonable," Vlad pleaded with her. "I don't want anyone to get hurt, and I don't want to fight you."

Still holding Robin with an unbreakable grip, Ingrid said, "Of course you don't want to fight me; you're a pathetic loser! You couldn't even kill the slayers when you had them hypnotized! Will is a pile of dust because of that slayer and you let him go!" Tears shone at the corners of her eyes as she glared accusingly at Vlad.

Vlad saw Ingrid's show of emotion as a chance to talk her down from biting his friend. "The violence has to stop if there will ever be peace between vampires and breathers. Taking revenge on a slayer wouldn't have solved anything, and biting Robin won't change anything either."

"I have news for you… while you were getting your beauty sleep I found that slayer and drained him dry."

"You _killed_ him?"

"Don't sound so surprised. He deserved it and so do the rest of them. Who do those breathers think they are, trying to slay us? And all we've ever done is run away! It's time we showed them we are the ones to be feared! I will lead our kind into a glorious future, and the slayers will-- Oof!" As Ingrid ranted, her grip on Robin loosened slightly and he had seized the opportunity to ram his elbow into her stomach. She flung him into a bookcase, which he hit with a loud thud before he collapsed. "You… little… worm!" Ingrid gasped, nearly doubled over. "You will pay for that!"

Before Ingrid could get to Robin again Vlad ran at her and jumped, tackling her from the side.

"Well done, Vladdy!" the Count cheered. "That's my boy!"

In a flash, Ingrid was back on her feet. She and Vlad circled each other, waiting for the next move. "At least I know whose side you're really on. You're no better than a slayer. I was considering keeping you alive if you were willing to cooperate, but now I'll have to kill you."

Ingrid's words sent a chill down Vlad's spine. "You wouldn't."

"Don't say that just yet. I'm going to tear you to pieces," she growled at him through her teeth. Ingrid drew her arm back and threw a fireball directly at Vlad. He dove out of the way just in time, feeling the heat of the fire against his back as it flew by, hitting the stone wall behind him instead. Grabbing the crossbow from the floor, Vlad turned it on Ingrid as she was aiming another fireball at him. He fired quickly, trying not to aim for her heart, resulting in the crossbow bolt hitting her just below the left collarbone.

"You missed! How could you miss?" the Count cried as Ingrid howled in pain.

Ignoring his father, Vlad ran to where Robin was beginning to recover from his impact with the bookcase. Giving him a hand up, Vlad said, "Go release my dad. I'll hold off Ingrid." Robin nodded and ran over to the control disk for the cage. Vlad looked back to where Ingrid was standing just in time to see her grab the crossbow bolt and pull it out of her chest.

"Face it, Vlad. I'm faster, stronger, and I'm going to win," Ingrid gloated as he started to charge at her again. As he ran to intercept her, Vlad snatched up a broken chair leg from the floor and swung it at her. With super fast reflexes, Ingrid reached out and grabbed Vlad's arm with one hand, stopping him before the improvised club hit her. She twisted his arm, forcing him to drop the chair leg. Vlad kicked her in the shin as hard as he could before pulling his arm free.

Robin crouched by the disk on the floor and glanced back over his shoulder to see Vlad and Ingrid still locked in battle. "What are you waiting for?" the Count snapped at him. "Get me out of here!"

"Sorry," Robin said before looking down at the disk. "Okay, press the center…" he muttered as he placed his finger on the top of the disk. The needle in the disk was triggered once again and pierced the flesh of Robin's finger. As soon as his blood landed on the disk, the green light appeared and the disk began to process the new sample.

While Robin attended to the disk, Ingrid had gained the upper hand in her fight with Vlad. Vlad was trying to catch his breath after being kicked in the stomach when the blur of Ingrid's fist caught him off-guard. He fell and landed hard on his back; the air was knocked out of him and his vision blurred. His vision cleared quickly, but when it did Ingrid was already kneeling over him, holding the piece of a chair he had attacked her with before. Ingrid raised the jagged chair leg over his heart with both hands, ready to stab it into his chest. Vlad's eyes went wide as he saw the weapon, and he reached up swiftly to stop her from staking him. He caught Ingrid's wrists as she drove the stake down and he pushed upwards, desperately trying to avoid being run through. As Vlad struggled to save himself, he locked eyes with Ingrid and for a moment he saw her hesitate. "Ingrid…" he pleaded as he felt himself being overpowered. "Don't…"

"I won't let you stop me," Ingrid said, her expression resolute. Though his thoughts were distracted by the stake that was creeping closer to his heart, Vlad could have sworn he heard a hint of remorse in her voice.

Vlad could feel the sharp end of the crude stake begin to draw blood as it pressed into his chest. Not far away the female voice from the disk announced clearly, "Confirming deactivation request… user species: human. Deactivation request accepted. Deactivating…" But Vlad was quickly losing strength. When he felt he couldn't hold on anymore, Vlad closed his eyes and resigned himself to his fate as his grip slackened on Ingrid's wrists.


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note: So here's the last chapter. I know it is way past my goal time for updating, but I tried. And I want to say again, a big thanks to those who left reviews for this story, and to all my readers.

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The Count looked on speechlessly as Ingrid forced the stake towards Vlad's heart. He couldn't bear to stand by and watch the heir to his throne die like this. When it seemed that Vlad was about to give up the fight, the disk powered down and the ultraviolet bars surrounding the Count disappeared. Just as Vlad closed his eyes, the Count flew across the room in a blur and pulled Ingrid away from Vlad. Holding Ingrid tightly by her upper arms, the Count slammed her against the wall. Ingrid thrashed to get free, but found that her strength was no match for the older vampire. The Count roared and bared his fangs in a display of rage. "How dare you betray me!" he shouted. For the first time that day Ingrid looked truly terrified. "No one turns against the Prince of Darkness and lives to tell the tale!"

"I--" Ingrid began to speak, but the Count interrupted her.

"And you nearly killed your brother! My heir! Nothing can excuse that!"

The Count held Ingrid with a murderous glare, but before he could act he heard Vlad say weakly, "Wait, Dad…"

Looking over at Vlad, his eyes still pitch black, the Count snapped at him, "What?"

Vlad tried to stand but he winced and fell back, groaning. Robin hurried to his side to help him up, draping one of Vlad's arms across his shoulders. "I won't have you kill for me," Vlad said to the Count while he leaned against Robin for support.

Renfield suddenly burst into the room shouting, "Master! I found it! I have the--!" He stopped short when he saw his surroundings. His eyes moved from the wreckage scattered about the room, to Robin, to Vlad, to Ingrid, to the Count, all staring back at him. He gave a nervous laugh and said, "I'll come back later."

He turned to leave but the Count roared at him, "Stay where you are, Renfield!" Renfield cringed but obeyed, turning and facing him again. The Count's eyes narrowed as he saw the Crown of Power in Renfield's hands. "Where did you get that?" he asked, lowering his voice.

"You see Master, I was catching rats over at the museum and it was on one of the dummies, and…" he recoiled defensively before blurting out, "I wore the crown. I'm so sorry Master. I know you said not to let anything happen to it. Please don't hurt me."

"So he remembers who you all are?" Robin asked.

"It was the crown," the Count said slowly as he realized what Renfield was saying. "Good job, Renfield."

Renfield looked relieved though somewhat surprised by the Count's praise. "Really? Thank you, Master."

A thought occurred to Vlad and he beckoned Renfield to bring the crown over to him. "I think I know what needs to be done," he said. Taking the crown from Renfield, Vlad gingerly put it on. He held his breath, waiting for the room to shake as it had the previous times he wore the crown. When nothing happened he let go of Robin and moved to stand closer to Ingrid and the Count, still a bit slow from his injuries. Vlad made eye contact with Ingrid and drew upon his power of hypnosis to put her in a trance. His eyes glowed yellow as he said to her, "Listen to me very carefully. Yesterday you and Will had a violent argument after the slayer attack. He left Stokely and you don't care if you never see him again. You won't be trying to kill Dad or me anytime soon, either." Vlad stepped back, his eyes returning to their normal color.

The Count snapped his fingers once to bring Ingrid out of the trance. "What are you all staring at me for?" she growled, looking around. Vlad quickly removed the crown and held it behind his back before she could notice he was wearing it.

Leaning over to Vlad, Robin whispered, "How do you know if it worked?"

"Are you still here, Branaugh?" Ingrid asked, scowling at Robin. "I though you left with the rest of the breathers. Don't you ever go away?"

"He's rather like you in that respect," the Count muttered.

"Dad!" Vlad hissed.

"I mean, you aren't looking well, Ingrid. Why don't you go get some rest?"

"Ugh! I'm sick of you always telling me what to do!" Ingrid complained, though she did feel strangely bewildered. Despite her initial objection, she turned around and stomped off towards her room.

Once Ingrid was gone the Count hugged Vlad tightly and said, "You saved the day again, Vladdy my boy."

"Ow, Dad," Vlad cringed.

The Count quickly let go of Vlad and gazed at him with concern. "You're hurt," he said, focusing on Vlad's chest where blood was seeping through his ripped shirt.

"I'll be fine, it's just a scrape."

"Renfield! Make yourself useful and get some bandages!" the Count ordered. "Are you certain you're all right?" he asked as Renfield left to get the first-aid supplies, grumbling something about a lack of appreciation.

"Yes, really, I'm fine. Though I wouldn't be if Robin hadn't shut down the disk in time for you to keep Ingrid from staking me," Vlad said, nodding towards Robin.

Looking over to where Robin stood, the Count said somewhat reluctantly, "Vlad is right. You may not be such a hopeless breather after all."

"Was that a compliment?" Robin asked, looking to Vlad.

"It's a close as he gets."

"Cool."

--------------------------------

Later on Vlad was sitting up in his room with Robin; away from the commotion of Renfield trying to clean up the castle while the Count shouted orders and bemoaned the loss of some of his favorite possessions. Renfield had patched up Vlad surprisingly well, and after cleaning up and changing into fresh clothes Vlad was feeling much better. The Crown of Power had successfully restored Robin's memories and it rested on Vlad's bed next to a plain brown box. Robin was relaxing in the chair by Vlad's desk and holding an icepack on the lump where he had hit his head during the fight with Ingrid. Vlad stood by his bed and stared at the crown, lost in thought. "It's not going to disappear if you take your eyes off of it," Robin joked.

Vlad looked up with a serious expression. "That's not what I was thinking about."

"Then what?"

"I was thinking about what the ghost said when I was in the dream world… how he told me I would have to use the Crown of Power to slay Ingrid or… you know."

"Yeah, but you didn't and everything still turned out all right. She's not dead and doesn't remember what happened, you're not dead, you dad's not dead, and I'm not dead. Everybody's happy."

"It isn't just that. He said something else… something about evil being a part of my 'true nature'. What if he's right? Just look at what happened to Boris. He didn't want to be evil, but once he went through the transformation he was worse than Uncle Ivan ever was. And Ingrid. She wasn't really all that bad until her transformation. Okay, she was always bad, but she wasn't a murderer. I don't know… I keep thinking that maybe there really is no way out for me."

Robin rolled his eyes and dropped the icepack on Vlad's desk. "Didn't the Grand High Vampire also say you couldn't win a fight with Ingrid without the crown? He was wrong about that."

"You call that winning? You hit your head harder than I thought." Vlad couldn't help smiling a bit despite himself. "And I do have a few years left before the transformation," he said thoughtfully. "Two years to find a cure."

"But who's going to be in charge of the vampires until then?"

"I don't know," Vlad admitted, placing the crown in the box which he then slid under his bed. "If no one else can be Grand High Vampire, they'll have to find a way to get along without one for now."

"They probably won't be happy about that."

"I know," Vlad said as they left the room. "The next few years are going to be interesting."

The End


End file.
